While Lincoln City’s League Cup run might have come to an end in the third round, the three performances in the competition will give new boss Michael Skubala and his side belief on what can be achieved this season.
West Ham United put an end to Lincoln’s hopes of progressing deeper into the tournament but the cup win should give the Imps confidence as they strive for promotion from League One this term.
Hammers Made Imps Rue Missed Chances
In what ended up being a narrow 1-0 defeat to West Ham in the third round, former manager Mark Kennedy and his side were left wondering what might have been. The Hammers, who are 11/10 in the English Premier League odds to finish in the top half of the table, allowed the Imps some early opportunities. The 100/1 shots in the Premier League top 4 odds were let off the hook when Lincoln had a goal ruled out for offside, while Reeco Hackett-Fairchild forced a great save from Hammers’ goalkeeper Łukasz Fabiański.
In the end, the Imps were made to rue those missed opportunities as Tomáš Souček’s second-half goal was the difference between the two sides at the final whistle. Kennedy and his players could certainly be proud of their efforts as their League Cup run had been brought to an end at LNER Stadium. It was a run that saw them secure a 2-0 win on the road at Notts County, before beating Premier League outfit Sheffield United at Bramall Lane in a penalty shootout. Victory over the Blades in South Yorkshire was one of the highlights of the early months of the season and shows what Lincoln are capable of.
Promotion Now The Focus For Lincoln
The new head coach Skubala will be able to look back at those matches and take plenty of positives from their three League Cup outings, as Lincoln look to focus all their attentions on getting promoted to the Championship. A defeat to Morecambe has already brought an end to Lincoln’s FA Cup hopes so there should be little distraction from the primary objective.
Finishing in the automatic promotion places will be an uphill battle, with the likes of Portsmouth, Oxford United and Bolton Wanderers making promising starts to the season. However, securing a place in the playoff spots is certainly achievable for the Imps. With 26 points from their first 18 games of the League One campaign, Skubala’s side find themselves in the mix for a top-six finish. The former Leeds United assistant boss, who had a caretaker head coach role at Elland Road after the sacking of Jesse Marsch earlier this year, won’t have long to settle into his new position. The nature of League One is unforgiving and Skubala will be eager to build up some winning momentum heading into the busy festive period.
The League Cup run and those performances against Premier League opposition are a foundation to build on and it will be intriguing to see if Skubala can keep Lincoln in the promotion conversation over the months to come.
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